Charming NYC trio The Happy Fits plays an intriguing blend of folk, vintage pop and funk/soul. Their sound is sparse but - as you can hear in single "While You Fade Away" (streaming below) - it can be pretty punchy. If the bass in that track sounds a little bright to you, it's because it's not actually a bass, but a plucked cello, which impersonates the other four string instruments in all their songs. The young group has a fun live show and simple but sophisticated melodies everybody can relate to, and these are certainly two of the reasons why Pianos decided to give them a residency during the month of December. The next live performance will be on December 12, if you dig it, do not miss it!

If, when faced with the prospect of listening to world music, you can't help but going "meh" (it's a shared prejudice!) you owe it to yourself to check out Brooklyn's Sandcatchers, both live (they are currently holding a Monday residency at Berlin) and on record. In sophomore LP "What We Found Along the Way" this quartet manage to effortlessly assemble tracks that blend middle eastern influences with Americana, post rock and noise rock as well. Based on an impossible time signature (what's that, a 9/4 tempo?), streamiing single Flees Fast Singing is groovy, tense and unpredictable. A lot of their repertoire is softer, like opening track Sky Stirs(which betrays folky pasts) or favorite Drop Stars Like Memories, but the band seems to catch fire whenever the BPM revs up, like in Washed and Wild, where a twangy distorted lap steel and an oud compete for attention on top of a breakneck fast paced rhythm section. The group is composed of veteran musicians, and you can hear it in the top notch execution, which - as so rarely happens - is matched by a sound that is as original as it's entertaining. Don't miss the next performance at Berlin on Monday 12.11. - PDG

The Deli Magazine was born in NYC's Attorney Street in 2004, in the shape of a print issue with a then unknown band on its cover, called Grizzly Bear. Ths NYC blog came in 2005, then the SF one in 2006, and then 9 more in the following years. The Deli is focused on the coverage of emerging bands and solo artists with a 100% local focus - no exceptions!